Life in the Scriptures has a new format that will spend a Year in the New Testament, in a book-by-book journey reading one chapter per day. This approach enables busy people to have daily Bible readings, and to increase their familiarity with the people, places, and teachings of the New Testament. It is a profitable and helpful Bible study method. May God bless it to you.

August 27, 2013

Scripture and Commentary, Wednesday after the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

Morning – Psalm
17, 2 Sam. 15:1-12, 2 Cor. 3

Evening – Psalm
18:1-20, Mt. 2:13

Commentary,
Matthew 2:13-23

Remember that a
major point of Matthew’s Gospel is to show that Jesus is the Christ by showing
Him as the fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture. The first chapter, and the first half of
chapter two give two very obvious examples of how Christ accomplishes
this. Tonight’s reading gives references
that are not so obvious. 2:18 quotes
Jeremiah 31:15. Why is Ramah weeping for
her children? Because they are not. They have been murdered and scattered and
taken captive. The verse refers to the
conquest of Jerusalem
by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. How can
this apply to Christ? It applies
figuratively because Judeah is again weeping for her children. An enemy has killed them, and terrible
mourning has engulfed the people again, just as in the days of Jeremiah. It is as though it is happening all over
again.

Bishop J. C.
Ryle says the flight to Egypt
and the opposition of Herod show two things.
First , is the general opposition of worldly rulers to the cause of
Christ. Christ’s claim to be God give
Him authority over kings and governments of men. Thus, He is a threat to them. His Law forbids theft and abuse of all
kinds. His Law establishes the natural,
or, God-given, rights of all people. The
right to life, own property, enjoy the fruits of one’s labour, even the right
to worship God, or not, are given to all people in God’s law. Such rights often interfere with the desires
and agendas of rulers and governments, so they oppose the Law of God, and God
Himself.

Second, it shows
Jesus as a “man of sorrows” from the very beginning of His earthly life and
ministry. The persecution of Herod and
the flight to Egypt
is an example of what would be a continuous part of Christ’s earthly life. “The waves of humiliation began to beat over
Him, even when He was a suckling child.”
They continued to beat upon Him until they had killed Him. But, says the
Bishop in Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew;

“The
Lord Jesus is just the Saviour that the suffering and sorrowful need. He knows well what we mean, when we tell him
in prayer of our troubles. He can
sympathise with us, when we cry to Him under cruel persecution. Let us keep nothing back from Him. Let us make Him our bosom friend. Let us pour out our hearts before Him. He has had great experience of affliction.”

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A Prayer for Biblical Understanding

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given to us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

About Me

The Rt. Rev. R. Dennis Campbell is Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church Diocese of Virginia, and Rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church in Powhatan, Virginia. He is the author of two books, He Shall Reign, and Gotta Run, and holds degrees from Southwest Baptist University, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.